the present age - still life.

the present age

still life.
self-released; 2016

3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk
​

The band the present age are brothers Isaac and Logan Lamers. They released a demo You’re Everything, which we reviewed and they have been hard at work since then working on their debut album entitled still life. It’s obvious after taking a listen that the duo has made some improvements. The recording quality is better, the songwriting is improved and they are establishing a more nuanced sound. 

Most of the songs this time around veer towards rock that lives somewhere between acts like The Killers, Fun, Phoenix Passion Pit and more. They embrace modern contemporary aesthetics and production value that the aforementioned bands utilize. For example the ample amount of reverb make their music sound huge and commercially viable. There are some deviations along the way but more on that later.

Up first is “Surf (Summer Clothes)” which is a catchy, single worthy song. The sparse verse is builds up to a very explosive chorus. The vocalist sings, “You think too much / but how can I sleep with walls coming after me.” You can make the argument that “Headaches” is a pop-punk especially once you get to the chorus. The song goes down easy without much experimentation along the way. 

“Breathe” is a very atmospheric song this time sounding like it could be the beginning to a song from a band like Explosions In The Sky. The song, which is just over two minutes felt more like a transitional song to “Idols.” “Do You Care” comes out of left field. I can’t even call this a rock song as the music is more pop/R&B.

The band gets back into their comfort zone with songs like “Do You Want To Feel Alone” and “Paler Love.” ”These Kind Of Things” is certifiably a song you could hear on the radio. It’s very contemporary sounding with all the bells and whistles. They close the album with the rumbling “Royalty” and sparse piano led “Boy.”

At the end of the day still life. can certainly fit into the pop/rock category. Their style blends right into what popular rock has been like for the last couple of years. Still life. has its mishaps but it is certainly a step in the direction for the brothers. They pulled off an impressive album that hopefully is just a hint of what else is to come.

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